Cardiff 2019 Saturday September 21st

[Sidney the robin]

2 hours ago, gustix said:

I sympathise with your thoughts Sidney the robin. But why should British speedway have been compensated because of the change?

My take on it Gustix is speedway was in real  decline ever since Bruce Penhall retired 1982 and since then our domestic league has nose dived to the level it is at now.But you have to say our domestic speedway has suffered because of the Series over the period ask Rye House fans ( set race nights).

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

My take on it Gustix is speedway was in real  decline ever since Bruce Penhall retired 1982 and since then our domestic league has nose dived to the level it is at now.But you have to say our domestic speedway has suffered because of the Series over the period ask Rye House fans ( set race nights).

I think you have a good reason for the start of what year-on-year appears to be a decline for BRITISH speedway. It certainly appears to be well adrift from Poland especially.

Sadly I think British speedway has to cope with fixed race nights because of rider availability and commitments for top riders elsewhere in Europe on week nights - Poland and Sweden are prime examples.

Edited September 25, 2019 by Guest

[Sidney the robin]

36 minutes ago, gustix said:

I think you have a good reason for the start of what year-on-year appears to be a decline for BRITISH speedway. It certainly appears to be well adrift from Poland especially.

Sadly I think British speedway has to cope with fixed race nights because of rider availability and commitments for top riders elsewhere in Europe on week nights - Poland and Sweden are prime examples.

That is where i believe  the time may have come to just  use riders now who want to  commit to the UK and then run your club within your means.For me speedway is speedway,  even a lower level sort of speedway can be entertaining i have experienced that.Ok you will miss the Doyle, Iversen ( ect) type and yes that is a massive loss and some will again say watering the product down again achieves nothing but for me something has to change.

[IainB]

2 hours ago, gustix said:

The quoted 40,000 attendance for the 2019 GP at Cardiff was excellent. But how many attending were actually British speedway supporters?

How many were the type of person who just likes to attend major sporting events?

How many of them were from other countries?

It has been quoted elsewhere several times that the basic overall attendance each week for all British speedway tracks averages about 20,000.

If the Cardiff attendance was - and I doubt it was - 40,000 British supporters why do the balance 20,000 not attend tracks on a weekly basis?

What does it matter? If a load of Poles come along making it viable so that British fans can have a good day out watching the worlds top riders I'd call that a result

[Guest]

1 minute ago, iainb said:

What does it matter? If a load of Poles come along making it viable so that British fans can have a good day out watching the worlds top riders I'd call that a result

I don't deflect from that opinion iainb. However I return to the salient point and query "...how many of the accepted 20,000 REGULAR British speedway supporters actually went to Cardiff..."? 

[IainB]

5 minutes ago, gustix said:

I don't deflect from that opinion iainb. However I return to the salient point and query "...how many of the accepted 20,000 REGULAR British speedway supporters actually went to Cardiff..."? 

We'll probably never know

[PHILIPRISING]

6 hours ago, racers and royals said:

I`m sure there is a story to be told about when the Grand Prix series started - British speedway were promoting the rounds  at Hackney 95/96 - Bradford 97 Coventry 98,99,2000. Terry Russell "found" Cardiff for 2001  yet  i think JP took over the "promoting" from then.

THAT was before the FIM decided that like Moto GP, etc they would sell the commercial rights to the speedway World Championship. And along came John Postlethwaite ...

[racers and royals]

18 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

THAT was before the FIM decided that like Moto GP, etc they would sell the commercial rights to the speedway World Championship. And along came John Postlethwaite ...

JP took over the GP’s in January 2000. The British authorities could have promoted Cardiff in 2001 but decided not to- probably they decided that the cost and risk of losing a fortune on it wasn’t for them !

[PHILIPRISING]

1 hour ago, racers and royals said:

JP took over the GP’s in January 2000. The British authorities could have promoted Cardiff in 2001 but decided not to- probably they decided that the cost and risk of losing a fortune on it wasn’t for them !

IT is true that the BSPA declined to be involved because of the cost of mounting such an untried indoor event in a stadium the size of the then Millennium. BSI was then part of the Benfield Greig group of re-insurers and were prepared to back JP. The rest is history.

[steve roberts]

9 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

Also Cardiff is a great advert for speedway and long may it continue  but does all of British speedway gain financially out of the event??.Was British speedway properly compensated at the time when the WC swapped to the GP series system.!!!!

Something that John Berry used to bang on about!

[iris123]

51 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

IT is true that the BSPA declined to be involved because of the cost of mounting such an untried indoor event in a stadium the size of the then Millennium. BSI was then part of the Benfield Greig group of re-insurers and were prepared to back JP. The rest is history.

Lack of vision through and through

[Sidney the robin]

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

Something that John Berry used to bang on about!

John could of  made it a different era  for British speedway Steve , put thing's into motion  to have a different vision pay John Berry a salary to be impartial make  huge decisions.I would of put my life on it that he would of ruffled a few feathers stood on a few toes but would of made progress and left a reliable successor in place for when he departed.This Country missed a trick and he would of left it in better shape than when he took over a real shame it did not happen.

[steve roberts]

12 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

John could of  made it a different era  for British speedway Steve , put thing's into motion  to have a different vision pay John Berry a salary to be impartial make  huge decisions.I would of put my life on it that he would of ruffled a few feathers stood on a few toes but would of made progress and left a reliable successor in place for when he departed.This Country missed a trick and he would of left it in better shape than when he took over a real shame it did not happen.

I did put the question to Martin Rogers because I feel that John could have made a difference but unfortunately he didn't get the backing he desired and therefore felt that he had no other option but to resign the position...much to the detriment of British speedway in my view.

Edited September 25, 2019 by steve roberts

[cityrebel]

12 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

John could of  made it a different era  for British speedway Steve , put thing's into motion  to have a different vision pay John Berry a salary to be impartial make  huge decisions.I would of put my life on it that he would of ruffled a few feathers stood on a few toes but would of made progress and left a reliable successor in place for when he departed.This Country missed a trick and he would of left it in better shape than when he took over a real shame it did not happen.

Nothing changes over the decades Sid. Lessons are never learned.

[Sidney the robin]

2 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

Nothing changes over the decades Sid. Lessons are never learned.

What would you liked changed City if you knew it could happen.? 

[Fullmax]

Let me just say what a fantastic weekend we've  just had in Cardiff. Its one of the  highlights of our Speedway calendar as indeed is Torun next weekend. 

Cardiff is the ideal host City for the event .  Its impressive Stadium right in the heart of the City ( not on an industrial estate miles from anywhere)  with ample seating for everybody that wishes to attend and a roof guaranteeing that the inclement British weather will never stop the meeting going ahead. A great atmosphere throughout the City for  the whole weekend with plenty of restaurants and pubs to cater for all tastes and pockets. Hotels , yes there far too expensive which we all know but its no different from anywhere else when a major event is being held. Supply and demand, Shop around and search on the internet and look for the best deals to suit your budget  . The racing this year wasn't great but i still thought it was an enjoyable meeting. Next year might be better. 

It may have been a disappointing meeting to a few sat at home watching but to the majority of those present a thoroughly enjoyable Speedway weekend. Tickets and hotels booked for next year , roll on 2020.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Fullmax

[Wee Eck]

3 hours ago, Fullmax said:

Let me just say what a fantastic weekend we've  just had in Cardiff. Its one of the  highlights of our Speedway calendar as indeed is Torun next weekend. 

Cardiff is the ideal host City for the event .  Its impressive Stadium right in the heart of the City ( not on an industrial estate miles from anywhere)  with ample seating for everybody that wishes to attend and a roof guaranteeing that the inclement British weather will never stop the meeting going ahead. A great atmosphere throughout the City for  the whole weekend with plenty of restaurants and pubs to cater for all tastes and pockets. Hotels , yes there far too expensive which we all know but its no different from anywhere else when a major event is being held. Supply and demand, Shop around and search on the internet and look for the best deals to suit your budget  . The racing this year wasn't great but i still thought it was an enjoyable meeting. Next year might be better. 

It may have been a disappointing meeting to a few sat at home watching but to the majority of those present a thoroughly enjoyable Speedway weekend. Tickets and hotels booked for next year , roll on 2020.

I think that’s very much on point. The racing there is seldom good but the atmosphere inside and out of the stadium is always fantastic. It’s now a full day event as witnessed by the crowds that flocked to the Revolution bar to see Tai, Greg, and all the others. 

The hotels have always been horrendously expensive but at least the GP finishes early so you don’t need to stay. 

The only down side for me is the increasing number of vagrants and druggies in the pedestrian areas. But then Cardiff isn’t alone in this

[chunky]

2 minutes ago, Wee Eck said:

The only down side for me is the increasing number of vagrants and druggies in the pedestrian areas.

You sure that wasn't the pits??? 

I'll shut up...

[RobMcCaffery]

2 hours ago, chunky said:

You sure that wasn't the pits??? 

I'll shut up...

Belle Vue 1982. England v USA. England manager Eric Boocock sweeping out flooded pits, stops, points to sign out on centre green and says "Hope those bloody yanks have read that".

Sign reads:

 

"Keep Off The Grass"

[R87]

7 hours ago, Fullmax said:

Let me just say what a fantastic weekend we've  just had in Cardiff. Its one of the  highlights of our Speedway calendar as indeed is Torun next weekend. 

Cardiff is the ideal host City for the event .  Its impressive Stadium right in the heart of the City ( not on an industrial estate miles from anywhere)  with ample seating for everybody that wishes to attend and a roof guaranteeing that the inclement British weather will never stop the meeting going ahead. A great atmosphere throughout the City for  the whole weekend with plenty of restaurants and pubs to cater for all tastes and pockets. Hotels , yes there far too expensive which we all know but its no different from anywhere else when a major event is being held. Supply and demand, Shop around and search on the internet and look for the best deals to suit your budget  . The racing this year wasn't great but i still thought it was an enjoyable meeting. Next year might be better. 

It may have been a disappointing meeting to a few sat at home watching but to the majority of those present a thoroughly enjoyable Speedway weekend. Tickets and hotels booked for next year , roll on 2020.

All totally irrelevant if what people go to speedway for - the racing - is utter garbage.